who is a good employment lawyer

by Alfonso Deckow 8 min read

What can an employment lawyer do?

An employment lawyer can help review or prepare contracts and agreements that you use with your employees such as employment contracts, severance contracts, or releases. Of course workplaces are subject to many different types of regulation by a number of different local, state and federal agencies, for example, OSHA.

What are the legal issues that employment lawyers handle?

Employment lawyers handle employment-related legal issues, including: Wrongful termination; Workplace discrimination; Sexual harassment; Contract violations;

How much does an attorney charge per hour?

Hourly rate: Most attorneys charge for employment cases according to a set hourly rate. In California, the median attorney hourly rate starts at $350 for smaller, less experienced firms and $450 for larger more experienced firms.

When should I contact an employment attorney?

A person should contact an employment attorney as soon as they become aware of an issue. If a person waits to contact an attorney, the delay could prevent them from proving the conduct committed by the employer and thus from recovering damages.

Can an employer lay off employees?

The employer plans to lay off or fire a large number of employees, terminate an employee benefit, or change the current pension plan that it offers. An experienced employment attorney can also assist you with legal issues other than employee-employer disputes.

What should I do before meeting with a lawyer?

Before meeting with a lawyer, a person should prepare themselves to describe their problem with a brief, clear summary.

What should I ask my lawyer about?

A person should ask the lawyers about their experience with the specific type of problem that they have, their fees, what their options might be, their chances of success, who will do the work on their case (whether the attorney or an associate), and when the problem might be resolved.

Who is the Malecki law firm?

Malecki Law is a civil litigation law firm that has been in operation in New York City for over 20 years. The firm represents anonymous whistleblowers who have brought attention to illicit business practices. It also handles employment claims in the securities field, such as those involving severance packages, unpaid wages and commissions, and discrimination and harassment. In 2014, partner Jenice Malecki was named one of New York's Women Leaders in the Law.

What is Giordano Law Offices?

Giordano Law Offices is an award-winning employment law firm in Uptown Manhattan, New York City. The firm has over 40 years of experience helping clients who have been wrongfully terminated, harassed, and discriminated against in the workplace. The firm has won millions of dollars for clients due to claims involving wrongful termination, hostile work environments, Title IX claims, cuts to pensions and benefits, and unpaid wages due to FMLA and PFL violations. The firm negotiates severance agreements and assists both employees and employers with all employment related matters. Giordano Law Offices has a 24/7 office line that accepts both text messages and calls and offers free consultations.

Where is Faruqi LLP?

The firm is located in New York City, New York, and helps clients in the city and throughout its surrounding areas. It litigates individual and class action lawsuits and takes on cases deal with wage theft, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as other unlawful employment practices.

Who is Lipsky Lowe?

Lipsky Lowe LLP is a New York City-based law firm specializing in employment law in New York and New Jersey. It was founded by attorneys Doug Lipsky and Chris Lowe, who worked together at labor and employment firm Seyfarth Shaw before starting their own company. At Lipsky Lowe LLP they leverage their combined knowledge, skills, and experience to successfully represent individuals, classes, and businesses in all types of employment matters.

What is Nisar Law Group?

Nisar Law Group PC is an employment litigation legal firm in the NYC metro area that handles all matters related to employment and labor laws in New York and across the country. The firm's attorneys take cases involving hostile work environments, section 75 hearings, whistleblower actions, wrongful termination, severance negotiations, sexual harassment, and overtime and wage and hour law violations. The firm also has extensive experience with age, religious, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and criminal record discrimination.

What is Derek Smith Law Group?

It was founded in 1995 and offers a 24/7 helpline. The firm represents clients with discrimination claims involving protected classes such as age, race, disability, or gender identification. An experienced legal team helps clients that experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. Attorneys fight to obtain financial compensation for employees after termination, cuts to benefits or pensions, or unpaid wages as a result of FMLA violations.

Who is Robert Ottinger?

Its lawyers also handle sexual harassment cases and pregnancy discrimination. Founding attorney Robert Ottinger is a recognized Super Lawyer and a member of the New York and California.

What are the qualities of a good lawyer?

One of the most underrated traits shared by almost every successful attorney is a strong ability and willingness to listen. Although strong listening is a part of overall communication skills, it’s important to highlight listening as its own professional trait. Effective communication is a two-way street. Too many people fail to put in the time and energy to fully understand and comprehend what the other party is saying. When you truly open up your ears, you will probably recognize that people are giving you even more information that you thought. Listening to your clients, listening to witnesses, listening to your opposing counsel, and listening to the court can be the difference between winning and losing a case. Great lawyers take in all relevant information, analyze it, and create a plan of action.

What is the job of a lawyer?

To be clear, the client is ultimately responsible for making a choice, but it’s the lawyer’s job to make sure that the client knows and understands all relevant information so that they can make an informed decision. An attorney who lacks good judgement is an attorney who will not last very long in the field.

What does an attorney do after an accident?

Whether it’s by helping them through a difficult family law matter, protect ing them against false charges , or securing fair financial compensation after an accident, attorneys advocate for people during some of the most challenging times in their life. Lawyers matter.

How do lawyers communicate?

A great lawyer knows how to get important ideas across in formal legal writing, in informal emails, in phone conversations, through discussions in official legal settings, and in private conversations.

What is the key to talent development?

Some have an already developed enthusiasm for lifelong learning, but as noted by Deloitte, one of the keys to talent development is cultivating worker passion. In other words, people who are passionate about what they are doing are happier, more fulfilled, and they perform better.

How do lawyers persevere?

Finally, successful lawyers know how to persevere. The law is a tough field. There is no reason to sugar coat it; practicing law can be one of the most rewarding and meaningful careers out there, but it’s also a lot of work. As is true with any profession, success requires effort. There will be difficult days. You may be stuck dealing with a client who is making your life unnecessarily hard, an opposing counsel who is being rude for no reason, or a judge who rules the wrong way on a key procedural matter. You may simply be frustrated because you spilled hot coffee on your shirt that morning. It happens. What sets successful attorneys apart from ordinary attorneys is that they know how to persevere through the challenging times to get to the rewarding and meaningful moments that make it all worth it.

Is law a science?

The law is not purely a science. There is an art to effective legal practice. Remember, each client that an attorney deals with will have their own unique set of goals, objectives, and concerns. In some cases, ‘outside-the-box’ thinking can help craft a solution that the client may never even realize was possible.

What is Affinity Law Group?

It provides compliance counseling to businesses, business owners, and executives regarding employee contracts and labor unions. When disputes between employees or unions and employers arise, Affinity's Law Group's attorneys draft, review, and negotiate agreements. The firm also defends employers who have grievances or claims of employment discrimination, wage violations, and wrongful termination filed against them.

What is Keane Law?

Keane Law, LLC, is a company in St. Louis composed of a team of employment lawyers . Its practice areas include employment law, which can involve discrimination, work-related injuries, and wage and benefits matters . Ryan A. Keane, Esq. successfully headed class actions that sought to invalidate red light camera ordinances in Missouri. In 2015, this translated to an $18 million settlement distributed to thousands of people, which is the biggest amount of settlement in the history of the state.

Who is Steve Donner?

Donner Applewhite, Attorneys at Law, is a team of civil litigation and employment lawyers in St. Louis. The firm works with both employers and employees during employment law cases involving whistleblower retaliation, sexual harassment, unpaid overtime wages, wrongful dismissal, and discrimination. Its team also takes cases in which one party has been accused of violating a workplace contract. Partner Steve Donner has additional experience with business formation and criminal defense.

Who is Michael Kaemmerer?

McCarthy, Leonard, Kaemmerer LC is a general litigation law firm that has been working with the people of Saint Louis since 1984. The firm handles employment law cases from the employer's side. It helps clients develop employee handbooks and review existing regulations and policies. Additionally, it represents them in cases in which an employee feels they were wronged. Partner Michael Kaemmerer has been named to the Kansas Super Lawyers list.

What is McMahon Berger?

For more than 50 years, McMahon Berger PC has been providing legal services to clients in the Saint Louis area. The firm handles cases in a variety of legal areas, including employment law. Its attorneys are experienced in defending claims against employers regarding matters such as wage disputes, harassment, and discrimination. The firm also handles complex litigation matters related to employment law, such as the elimination of improper parties and organized case management coordination.

What is Mickes O'Toole?

Mickes O'Toole Attorneys at Law provides legal services to clients in the greater Saint Louis area. The firm's labor and employment group handles matters such as employment discrimination, union negotiations, and wrongful termination, as well as legal documents such as non-competition agreements. Other areas of practice include estate and education law. Founding partner Thomas J. O'Toole, Jr. is admitted to practice in state and federal courts throughout Missouri and Illinois.

What is Pitzer Snodgrass?

Pitzer Snodgrass PC is a general litigation law firm that has been serving the St. Louis community since 1991. The firm represents small and large businesses during labor and employment law disputes involving discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and contract violations. Its team has experience working with businesses that are involved in the hospitality and trucking industries. Partner Gary Snodgrass was named a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters for five consecutive years.

What is workplace harassment?

When workers are subjected to slurs, assaults, threats, ridicule, offensive jokes, unwelcome sexual advances, or verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, it can be considered workplace harassment. Similar to workplace discrimination, workplace harassment creates a hostile and abusive work environment.

What is defamation in the workplace?

Defamation is generally defined as the act of damaging the reputation of a person through slanderous (spoken) or libelous (written) comments. When defamation occurs in the workplace, it has the potential to harm team morale, create alienation, or even cause long-term damage to a worker’s career prospects.

What happens if you are fired without cause?

If you believe you may have been fired without proper cause, our labor and employment attorneys may be able to help you recover back pay, unpaid wages, and other forms of compensation.

What are some examples of misclassifications?

Some examples of misclassifications include: Misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor to not have to comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission laws, which prevent employment discrimination.

What is wrongful termination?

This is termed wrongful termination, wrongful discharge, or wrongful dismissal. There are many scenarios that may be grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit, including: Firing an employee out of retaliation. Discrimination.

Do independent contractors have to file taxes?

Independent contractors are not entitled to employee benefits, and must file and withhold their own taxes, as well. However, in recent years, some employers have abused classification by misclassifying bonafide employees as contractors in an attempt to save money and circumvent laws.

What is the minimum wage in 2020?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established certain workers’ rights, including the right to a minimum wage (set federally at $7.25 as of 2020) and overtime pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek for non-exempt employees.

Who is Leily Schoenhaus?

Leily Schoenhaus is an attorney in the litigation department of Sherman Silverstein Attorneys at Law. She has handled significant matters in federal and state courts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, at the... Read More »

Who is Allan Marain?

Allan Marain is a member of the New Jersey Bar. As such, he practices in Municipal Courts, the Superior Court of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Supreme Court. He is a member of the Bar of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He is a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is authorized to practice before the United States Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Aviation Administration,...

Why are lawyers so good at their jobs?

Lawyers are in the unusual position of actually being better at their jobs if they have a pessimistic mindset rather than a rosy outlook, according to the ABA. A lawyer’s ability to see everything that could possibly go wrong comes in handy when they’re building an airtight case against the opposition.

How many years of school do I need to become a lawyer?

1. The challenging years of law school. The process of becoming a lawyer isn’t for the faint of heart. The BLS reports that it typically takes seven years of full-time postsecondary education to become a lawyer. This breaks down to four years for a Bachelor’s degree, followed by three years of law school.

What is non-billable hours?

Non-billable hours are all those other aspects of a job, like checking e-mail, attending meetings and participating in continuing education.

Is being a lawyer worth it?

Is being a lawyer worth it? That’s something only you can decide. Becoming a lawyer definitely isn’t for everyone. If you decide that the risks don’t outweigh the rewards, you don’t necessarily have to give up your dream of working in the legal field. There are plenty of other career options that may better suit your skills and interests.

Our Methodology

Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

Practice Area Definition

Labour and Employment law is a multi-faceted practice that pertains to all aspects of labour relations, human resources, and the employment relationship.

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